Coffee & Martial Arts - GM Larry Tatum - 2022 interview

Coffee & Martial Arts - GM Larry Tatum - 2021 interview

The original "Shared Patch"

 

Kenpo: An Illustrated Instructor's Manual

 (from Amazon)

A translation of a 120 year-old (published in 1899) self-defense manual with 16 Kenpo (Jujutsu) techniques. It was intended to be a curriculum for police, military or anyone who wanted a form of self-defense. The 16 techniques were originally published in 1888 however, for this edition, the explanations have been dramatically expanded and new illustrations added. A great look at how Jujutsu was presented in Japan 120 years ago. History: In 1888 a Samurai named Hisatomi Tetsutaro consulted with numerous schools of Jujutsu and formulated a set of arresting techniques and titled his book "The Police Officer’s Essential Illustrated Guide : Kenpo." In this era Kenpo and Jujutsu (Jiu-jitsu) meant the same thing. This book was originally only available to police officers, however it was later released to the general public. This book, "Kenpo : An Illustrated Instructor’s Manual," by Inoguchi Matsunosuke expands on the techniques gathered by Hisatomi Tetsutaro and added new, clearer illustrations. In addition, this book includes several resuscitation techniques as well as Hojo, or rope restraining techniques. Kenpo : An Illustrated Instructor’s Manual offers a unique chance to see how early Jujutsu was practiced in Japan 120 years ago.

The Police Officer's Essential Illustrated Guide: Kenpo

 (from Amazon) 

First English translation of a fully illustrated Japanese Police Martial Arts Manual originally published in 1888. Twenty chapters on fighting, resuscitation and Hojo Japanese rope binding techniques from sixteen Ryuha, or schools of martial arts, along with a history of each school and its current head (as of 1888). Sure to be a helpful guide for anyone regularly dealing with vagabonds, miscreants, scoundrels or men and women of ill repute.The original Japanese book is reproduced with a full English translation beside it. First time in translation. Includes additional never before translated material by Kano Jigoro the founder of Judo.

Swimming with Sharks

 (recently posted on Facebook by Mr. Chapel)

By Ron Chapél, Ph.D.

(Previously Published In Combat Martial Sports Magazine)

Tangling With Ground fighters Doesn’t Have To Be Automatic Defeat. By Controlling the Distance, You Can Counter the Street Grappler

You may have noticed. If you haven’t, you may be the only one who hasn’t. The last couple of decade has shown a steadily increasing interest in the grappling disciplines.

Interestingly, Ed Parker predicted the “grappling” craze back in the mid-1970s. Back then, he took a long, hard look at the ground game. While he could see that it had more than its share of merits, he really felt there was not a lot to worry about from a self-defense perspective, provided, of course, that you had some knowledge and skill of grappling.“

Remember, this was just his opinion, but it wasn’t unfounded. He always did his homework with his good friends in the arts. In this case, that included Wally Jay, creator of small circle jiu-jitsu, and the former world champion wrestler, “Judo” Gene LeBell. Moreover, Parker, who had a black belt in judo and jiu-jitsu, knew ground fighting – in all of its many forms – had been thoroughly explored under various rules for centuries, and he had his fair share of exposure to the art. In addition to Jay and LeBell, Parker trained with Kwai Sun, who had trained with Professor Henry Okazaki, a man who had a major influence on training in the Hawaiian Islands.

Furthermore, modern grapplers like LeBell have seen and used every trick in the book for decades. With Parker’s previous training and his association with people like LeBell, Jay, and Chow, it wasn’t likely anyone was going to come up with something that he hadn’t seen some version of already. To be sure, his training and experience made him quite competent to make reasonable decisions about grappling.

LeBell, by the way, is the man Parker chose to represent “The American Martial Artist” in an exhibition bout versus a professional boxer. Milo Savage, a decent middleweight, lost the match when LeBell closed the distance and threw him with a hip throw. LeBell then quickly finished him off with a stranglehold. Parker knew the best competitors in the world in their own venue are grapplers, and there was no one better ever or since than LeBell. Getting into the ring with a wrestler under his rules is like swimming with sharks. Sooner or later you’re going to get eaten.

Parker agreed that a good working knowledge of how to fight on the ground was important, and those techniques exist conceptually within his many variations of Kenpo. One of the unique ways Parker chose to address ground fighting for the street was based partly on an early conversation with LeBell. They both agreed on the importance of “controlling the distance.” LeBell had proven that with Milo Savage. If Milo had been able to do that, the outcome may have been much different.

Ed Parker always said, “Distance is your best friend,” and he taught that from the beginning. He hypothesized, “If you control the ability of your attacker to get close to you and control what happens at the fourth (close) range of combat, you will be successful.” Although most of Kenpo’s fourth range is contact manipulation, Kenpo’s unexplored Fourth Range and its many sub-categories is defined by Mr. Parker as Control Manipulation and encompass a broader range of offensive and defensive tools.

EXPLOSIVE CONTROL

Control Release is one of the tools that play an important role in the curriculum. During his studies, Ed Parker explored major and minor manipulations, and the concept of the controlled release was given a great deal of importance. Control release occurs when the attacker is momentarily seized, struck, pulled, pushed, or manipulated to create “explosive momentary control” and “bodily misalignment.” This opens nerve cavities on the body and breaks down anatomical stability with negative posture. Within an instant, the attacker is released in preparation for the next move.

Kenpo Control Manipulations based in Chinese Chin-na include everything from locks and holds to major as well as minor strikes. Control Releases set up the body for a final result. Those results may be a “lock” or takedown and “pin” or sequential strikes to temporarily paralyze or render a level of unconsciousness, or in some cases, all of the above. They all fall within the specialized moves and methods outlined in Mr. Parker’s Infinite Insight Books. These, by the way, are not aesthetic, artistic movements. Instead, they are based on real anatomy, and tremendous emphasis is placed on anatomical alignment.

GOOD MECHANICS
If the alignment is critical, you know that there are good mechanics nearby, and Ed Parker noted that in the 1970s. First, he said, “the next big martial arts craze is going to go back to where it was in the early 1950s, and that is grappling.” He also noted that grapplers are good “mechanics.”

“If your body is not aligned properly, you don’t have a chance,” he said. “Good grapplers have great hands-on mechanics and train vigorously. Students must sharpen their basics to remain successful against these guys on the street.”

To effectively compete, anybody contact activity demands optimum alignment. Grappling disciplines, or other sports like Western boxing and football, expose poor body mechanics. In karate sparring competitions, tournaments points are awarded for hypothetical conclusions. They score you for what you purport you could have done – not for what you actually do.

On the self-defense technique side, throwing a punch and standing still so someone can execute a speedy defense is also an example of “hypothetical martial arts.” Doing a demo on a live "dummy" that is standing still may seem impressive to the uninitiated but only demonstrates possibilities, not reality. There doesn’t seem to be any regard for the reactions of the person being hit or where he will be after he reacts to the first action and beyond.

The truth is you can only move as fast as your attackers react to what you’re doing. This is an example of what I call “Paired Rhythm.” In reality, you have to read his posture, so you know what’s available for your next action. This also means you have to learn how to misalign your attacker, as well to assist in that process. Mr. Parker in his pool table analogy said, “You can’t take your next shot until the balls stop rolling so you can find it.”

CONTROL THE SPACE, CONTROL THE FIGHT

There are other factors to keep in mind, as well. Most think when someone throws a punch that hitting you is their only intent. But, Mr. Parker gave me another perspective. He said, “Block this punch.” I did and found that I was now locked up in an arm-lock. He said, “Sometimes people throw punches so you will hand them your arm, which is what they really want.”

When on the street, don’t overlook the possibility that your attacker may grab your arm. If your arm is anatomically weak, you’re in trouble. If a grappler attempts to wrap you up while blocking, your limb and body must be incorruptible and serve as a momentary obstacle. Unable to easily move, bend, or manipulate the limbs or close the distance effectively momentarily occupies the attacker.

This gives you the opportunity to continue your technique. Without the proper anatomical basics when your arms and legs move away from the torso, this is not possible. These movements are built into the structure of every technique and are called “Grapple Control Mechanisms” (G.C.M.). Even your strikes are G.C.M.’s if executed with the proper anatomical alignments. It is important that you “own the space” between you and your attacker. Remember, “he who controls the space controls the fight.”

TRAIN TO FIGHT - NOT TO COMPETE

Mr. Parker also made an extremely good point about the way grapplers train. From Day No. 1, grapplers train not to fight but to compete, he said. This is a very important distinction. They purposely omit the things you would do in a real fight because it would greatly inhibit their ability to train. Why? They would constantly be injured, and to preserve the identity of what they do in Martial Sport. That is why they, as well as judoka, are such great competitors. Everything they do is to that competitive end relative to their identity. There’s a reason they don’t kick in fencing. If they did, it wouldn’t be fencing.

As Gene LeBell and Ed Parker, both noted, however, you can throw a grappler off if you do anything for which he doesn’t train. For example, let’s say you go to the ground with a grappler. “If you quickly bite and gnash a grappler’s available soft tissue, he usually instinctively releases through startle reflex because he is unaccustomed to such actions in his training,” said Ed Parker. There was a wink and a nod to that in Bruce Lee’s Chinese Connection film. The much bigger Russian pinned him with an armbar and bruce bit his leg for a release.

This, of course, is completely disruptive to someone who has never trained to deal with these countermeasures, and frankly, it is difficult to train for in any discipline. This fact alone changes grappling options. What are some other ways to throw them a change-up? Along with “fish hooks,” grabbing the testicles and throat, striking the temple, pulling hair, executing small-joint manipulations of the fingers and eye gouges, spitting, head butts, and nerve cavity presses. Believe me, these things can be very disconcerting to someone not accustomed to such tactics left out of training. Grappling has good single engagement stuff but it focuses on training within the rules of engagement in their sport.

GET REAL, BABY

If you study a different non-anatomical form of Kenpo, don’t think that all of your previous lessons must be negated. That is not the case at all. Granted, the priorities have changed, and the level of execution must be taken to a much more precise degree. However, we’re not really replacing concepts. We’re just putting them in the proper priority. Like all physical laws, changes occur that force you to alter them or diminish their importance.

The experiences learned in other Parker Kenpo interpretations are important ones, but they must give way to more sophisticated and dominant concepts to execute certain advanced curricula successfully, and most importantly, in “real-time.”

A couple of legends, Mr. Hebler and Mr. Trejo

 Mr. Trejo fighting at a tournament with Mr. Hebler as one of the referees. 

A story told by Mr. Parker

(recently told on Facebook by Mr. Rich Hale)

A common misconception in the art of Kenpo is Mr. Parker insisted on everyone understanding kenpo on a technical level. Nothing could be further from the truth. Let me tell you a story Mr. Parker told me.

A guy comes into Mr. Parker's studio in Pasadena and wants to learn about karate. Mr. Parker spent a considerable amount of time telling him all about his theories, concepts, and principles. Then the guy asks, "Is it important I know all this and be able to recite it as you can?"

Mr. Parker then says, "Let's find out." He takes the guy out of the office and onto the mat, where several students were training. He calls over one student, then another. He then asks one student to attack the other. As Mr. Parker describes it, the defender all but kills the other guy. Afterward, Mr Parker asked the defender to explain, in explicit detail, all the theories, concepts, and principles involved in his defense.

The student pauses for a moment then looks up with a bewildered expression and said, "shit" before he walked away. Mr. Parker then told me he turned to the potential student and said, "Apparently... it's not necessary."